One of the last names you would ever expect to see in a column about College Hockey is Michael Jordan. But as I sat in my seat tonight at Gutterson Arena, home of the University of Vermont Catamounts, I couldn’t help but think about "His Airness."
During Jordan’s NBA reign, no lead was safe for an opponent. You could be ahead by 17 with two minutes to go and you just knew Jordan was going to bring the Bulls back. Jordan epitomized the oldest sports axiom in the book, “Great teams find a way to win.”
UVM has been finding ways to win lately. Dating back to last year, they are 17-4 in one goal games, including a 7-1 record this year.
Playing their fourth game in eight days, the Catamounts found a way to beat Maine tonight, 3-2, in front of a sold out crowd. The win was their fifth in a row and placed them solidly in second place in the Hockey East standings.
Vermont is playing with a confidence and swagger that I’ve seen before in programs like Boston College and Denver. Programs that know they are better than you, and no matter what the scoreboard says, they are never out of it.
Down 2-1 in the third period, the Catamounts tapped their reserve power scored two goals and played great defense to eke out a win. It was the second time in five days that they were behind in the third period only to come out victorious.
What is more amazing, is that the comebacks came against UMass and Maine. It wasn’t like they were playing Rensselaer and Brown. They came back and beat two very good Hockey East teams.
When the new national rankings come out on Monday, UVM should be a strong candidate for the top 10. With recent wins over Boston University, Northeastern, UMass and Maine on their resume, voters would be hard pressed not to take notice.
However, their ranking is not as important as their swagger. If this team continues to believe that they belong in the upper echelon, then they will continue to win.
Michael Jordan once said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Head Coach Kevin Sneddon’s gang has been making it happen, and for Catamount fans everywhere, it is an awesome sight to behold.
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